Wat Paramaiyikawat - Second Class Royal Temple on Koh Kret Island - Thailand 2023

Wat Paramaiyikawat Warawihan วัดปรมัยยิกาวาส วรวิหาร or simple known as Wat Paramaiyikawat วัดปรมัยยิกาวาส is an ancient Buddhist temple located on Ko Kret, Nonthaburi Province, central Thailand on the bank of the Chao Phraya River.

The temple is classified as a second class royal temple. It is believed that it was built in the late Ayutthaya period after the begin of Ko Kret. At that time it was called "Wat Pak Ao" วัดปากอ่าว, which means "estuary temple" because of the location.

In 1764, when the Burmese occupied the city during the fall of Ayutthaya. The temple was left empty, until 1774 when the Mons immigrated during the reign of King Taksin. He ordered it to be restored. The temple is also called "Pia Moo Kia Terng" เภี่ยมู้เกี้ยเติ้ง by the mons, which means "temple at the cape".

In 1874, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) presided over the Thot Kathin ทอดกฐิน ceremony coving four Mon temples of Nonthaburi. He saw that the temple was in poor condition so he ordered the restoration and overhaul of the temple by preserving the Mon's style in order to devote the merit to his grandmother (Princess Sudarattanarachaprayu. She helped raise him from when he was young and named the temple "Wat Paramaiyikawat" like today, which means "temple of grandmother".

The interior of the ordination hall features mural paintings in Thai traditional style and the doors and windows are decorated in colored stucco style. Outside the temple at the rightmost of the island corner is the location of the "Phra Chedi Mutao" พระเจดีย์มุเตา, a white pagoda in Mon's style. King Chulalongkorn once was here to pour relics of Buddha inside in 1884. This pagoda has a distinctive feature, it is a leaning pagoda.

Originally, it was an upright pagoda. Later on, water eroded the bank therefore causing the pagoda to tilt about the year 1891, despite efforts to restore it in 1992, it was unsuccessful. The pagoda is replica of the Shwemawdaw Pagoda of Bago, Myanmar which is a pagoda that is worshiped and highly respected by the Mons.

Both pagoda and temple has been registered as national ancient monuments by the Fine Arts Department in 1935.

Wat Paramaiyikawat is also regarded as the gateway of Ko Kret because it has a ferry pier opposite the mainland of Nonthaburi (Pak Kret), which is a very popular route.

This is just one of the many things to see on Koh Kret. It is a very popular destination for locals and tourists alike to visit.

Enjoy the video!